Aiming for sustainability and savings while meeting customer expectations, Ikea has added an alternative home delivery transportation solution, a solar-powered bicycle.
Named Sunrider, the bike carries 150 kg of cargo and has been used for deliveries around the company's store in the Dutch city of Delft. It has a range of around 100 km and emits 98% less CO2 than modern diesel vans.
According to the company, the product has solar panels installed in the charging box and are responsible for powering the lithium batteries.
During 2022, it was developed in the Netherlands, with the help of a pilot to later evaluate the prototype. After all the tests carried out, it was decided that it would be commercialized on a large scale.
“This Sunrider bike can accommodate around 90 percent of the IKEA product range. For us, it is important to explore new ways to improve the provision of services to customers, from a more sustainable, economical and accessible perspective. The solar-powered cargo bike does it all,” said Helene Davidsson, Sustainability Manager at IKEA.
“We want to serve more people, and many of our future customers will live in cities with limited access to transportation. This challenge offers a great opportunity to explore new ways of making our equipment available,” she highlighted.
In his view, the photovoltaic-powered bicycle will be a valuable addition to the last-mile service as it offers a quiet, emission-free alternative that can also bypass traffic congestion.
The company's goal now is to take Sunrider to other brand stores around the world to join the fleet of delivery vehicles.
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